Snohomish All Stars softball head to regional championship
Published 11:00 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026
The Snohomish Little League 12U All Stars softball squad clinched a spot in the Little League Northwest Regional championship with a 6-0 win over Idaho in Tuesday’s semifinal. The championship will air on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. on ESPN.
With a championship win, Snohomish could reach the Little League World Series for the first time since the 2015 South Snohomish team made the tournament. South Snohomish merged with North Snohomish in 2021 to create the current Snohomish Little League.
The All Stars, known as “Team Washington” at this tournament after winning state earlier this month, pitched their second straight shutout to follow a 2-0 win over Oregon on Sunday. Washington became the only team in the tournament to stay undefeated through Wednesday at 2-0, sending Idaho to a Wednesday bout with Montana for the right to play in Thursday’s championship.
Snohomish pitcher Maddie Locke threw another complete game, striking out eight hitters with just two hits and a walk allowed. Both hits and the walk were allowed in the final inning, as only two runners reached base on errors through the first five frames on another outstanding day for the Snohomish defense.
Locke also led Snohomish’s balanced offensive showing, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double in the sixth to score a final insurance run. That extra-base hit brought home second baseman Jaliyah Wright (2 runs, RBI, 3B), who scored twice herself and tripled in a four-run third inning to score left fielder Hannah Choiniere (1-for-2, run, RBI).
Snohomish, as it had in the Oregon game, had to claw for runs in the early going as Idaho, represented by Northwest Ada Little League, managed an inning-ending double play in the first.
After two groundouts and a strikeout forced by Locke, Snohomish’s offense began to work slowly. Third baseman Maddie Tawney (run) reached base on an error, then stole second moments later. Catcher Harlow Knisley (RBI) then grounded out to score Tawney from third to make it 1-0.
Snohomish made up for a fielding error in the second thanks to a Wright-to-Jocelynn Day double play, followed by Locke’s second K of the day.
Snohomish pulled away in the third, as outfielder Janessa Malone (1-for-2, run) singled to center before being brought home moments later on an Ella Bowers (1-for-2, run, RBI) single.
After a ground out that left Bowers on third with two outs, Snohomish managed a game-defining rally. Choinere scored Bowers on a single, followed by the triple from Wright to make it 4-0, and a single from Locke to score Wright.
Nursing a 5-0 lead, Locke and Co. continued to work on defense. Locke induced a pop out and two more Ks to get out of the third. Snohomish went 1-2-3 in the fourth as well before allowing a base runner on an error in the fifth.
Unfazed, Locke tossed a K, followed by a line-out snag from Tawney and another strikeout to end the inning.
After two quick Snohomish outs, Wright reached base in the sixth on an error. Locke made it count on a double to left field to score Wright and make it 6-0.
Still without a hit or walk allowed entering the final frame, Locke looked to end it quickly. After two groundouts, Idaho’s Arienah Bettis drew a six-pitch walk, followed by singles from Addi Leavens and Rilyn Adams to load the bases.
With a jam on her hands, Locke forced a single-hop ground out directly to her circle, which she slung to first baseman Avery Calamusa to clinch the win.
